Bookholder



Feb. 2i, 1933.

BOOKHOLDER Filed OCh. 29, l

E. J. slTHENs BYl ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1933 raten BOOKEOLDER Application filed October 29, 1930. SeraINo. 492,075.

This invention relates to book holders, an object of the invention being to provide a holder for a series of books or binders and their contained books, such as telephone directories or the like, so that they occupy a small space and are supported in such a manner as to be conveniently accessible for use.

Another object is to provide amounting for '10 the books so that they may be pulled out of the casing into position for use and automatically returned into the 4casing upon being released.

A further object is to provide mechanism 'i5 for the retention of the books to preven their loss or displacement.

A further object is to provide protection for the books thereby preserving their appearance and guarding against the effects 20 of wear and tear.

A still further object is 'to provide mechanism to protect the user or operator from personal injury or accident when operating or using the books.

The novel features Iwhich are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, both as to its organiza.- tion and method of operation, together with M other objects thereof, will be further eX- plained in the following detailed description having' reference to the accompanying drawing. The'drawing illustrates a side elevation of the improved device with parts broken away to show the interior thereof.

ln the improved device a casing, which is preferably made of wood although other suitable material may be used, provides a housing which partially encloses the books. rihis casing is shown as being substantially rectangular in form and has an open front portion to permit the withdrawal and automatic restoration of the books, as will presently appear. lin the present instance, the casing is shown supported on a suitable base 5 from which a 5C vertical rear wall 6 extends. The casing is provided with outer side walls and 8, and a central partition 9 which may be of substantially inverted L-shape, divides the casing into two compartments. A book 1() may be 55V contained in one compartment, and a book 11 in the other compartment. The top forward corners of the side walls 7 and 8 and the partition 9 are cut away to form inclined surfaces upon which the covers of the books or binders for the books may rest when with-v drawn from the casing and opened to a reading position, as shown by dotted lines in the drawing. yThe inclined surfaces are ar ranged to permit a book to be withdrawn from thecasing and opened to rest in a reading position on said inclined surfaces without being interfered with by the book or books which are in their normal position in the compartments. The reading angle or slope of the operated book may be vari-ed by increasing or decreasing the height of the carrier 12 and the casing, as desired to meet local conditions.

A supporting block or carrier 12 of sub- 75 stantially triangular formation is pivotally connected with the base 5 at the forward portion of each compartment by means of hinges 13 or the like. The supporting member or carrier 12 has a cutaway portion to form a 80 shoulder 14, and an angular bracket 15 is positioned in the corner made by the shoulder 14 and the cutaway portion 16 of the support 12. A plate 17 is secured to the opposite end 18 of the support. A book is supported on the surface 16 between the shoulder 141- and the portion 18 of the carrier 12, and suitable means aiiiXed to and extending from the plate 17 to the bracket 15 engages and holds the book in position thereon. The carrier 12 is 9^' provided at one corner with a hinge-engaging shoulder 19 and this, with the portion 18 of the carrier, serves to form a support for the carrier and the book thereon when they are in normal position in the casing, as shown in connection with the book 11. A shelf 20 is formed on the rear wall 6 of the casing, and shock absorbing means, such as blocks of resilient material 21 such as rubber, may be positioned on said shelf in each compartment to form a stop and su port for the carrier and books when in their housed position. The members 21 provide a final resting place or stop for the book carriers when they are in housed position, and assist in causin said carriers to be returned to normal position without shock or noise. v

A stop belt 22 is provided for each carrier 12 to limit the extreme outward travel of the book. This belt may be made of any suitable material, such as cotton webbing, or the like, which will stretch or give somewhat when the carrier is pulled to the extreme outward movement of the book; thereby reducing the tendency for shock or noise to a minimum at the end of said movement. This action also helps to prevent an undesirable shock to the arm of the person operating the book in case that the book is pulled forward very suddenl or with an excessively strong pull or jerk.

ne end of the belt 22 may be attached to the rear of a carrier by suitable fixtures, such, for instance, as shown at 23. The other end of the belt may be attached to suitable fixtures such as indicated, for instance, by the reference 24 on the drawing. The fixtures 24 may be attached to the rear wall 6 of the casin and are of such character as to permit adgiustment of the belt.

A retractile spring 25 may be attached at one end to the rear of each carrier, and the other end may be attached to the base of the casin as shown. The springs are so adjuste between their anchorages that a slight tension is maintained while their associated carrier is in a housed position. These springs exert a certain tension on the carriers while they are being withdrawn from the casing and opened to a reading position on the inclined surfaces of the partition and end walls. When the books are closed and released, the s rings exert a retractile action on the carriers to cause their return to a housed position in the compartments of the casing.

A compression or dash-pot 26 is provided in each compartment for its contained carrier. The compressionpots are pivotally connected at one end of their cylinders with the rear wall 6 of the casing by means of hinges 27 or the like. A piston 28 reciprocates in the cylinder of the dash-pot 26, and said piston is coupled by means of a connecting rod 29 to the rear face of a carrier by means of a pivotal fixture 30. The rings of the piston 28 are of such fiexible character its pivotal connections, is adapted to move in accordance with the movement of the carrier to which it is attached. The compression pots are provided with a small opening, or hole, at 32 by which air is admitted into the cylinders and also with a needlepoint valve 31 which permits the compression pots to be suitably regulated on both the inward and outward movement of the piston 28. A fibre washer, or its like, is fitted in the head of the cylinders so that only a very small amount of air can be taken in or forced out of the cylinders when the piston rings 28 are moving in that part of the cylinder between the hole 32 and the cylinder head. The major amount of air is therefore drawn in and forced out of the cylinder through hole 32 and valve 31. The valve is located on the cylinder so that the piston rings are justbclow the valve hole in the cylinder when the book is in the housed position of the cabinet. The iston rings 28 consist of two cup-shaped leat 1er fialn ges with the cup parts facing in opposite directions-one toward the rear of the cylinder and the other toward the front (head) of the cylinder-thereby effecting compression on both the inward and outward movements of the piston rings. The valve 31 permits the compression pots to be suitably regulated. The compression pots with their retractile springs 25 offer a suiiicient and certain degree of resist-ance to the Withdrawal of the carriers from 'the casing. The com ression pots also act to control and retarc the action of the retractile springs upon the return of the carriers and supported books to their normal position in the casing. It will be observed that, due to the action of the retractile springs and compression pots, the movement of the carriers is continually controlled in both their outward and inward travel.

v In the operation of the improved device, a book is withdrawn from its housed position by grasping the upper forward corner of the book or binder by the hand-grip 33 and pulling it forward and gradually downward until the motion is arrested by the stop belt 22. This movement is gradually retarded more and more as the piston rings pass the valve hole, then the air hole 32 and finally the almost full compression of the remaining portion of the cylinder until the motion is arrested by the stop belt. The object of this graduated retardation of the book carrier is to prevent a sudden movement or jerk when the book is pulled out of the housing. thereby avoiding any possible injury to the arm or body of the person operating the book, as Well as slowino' up the book movement so that there will be practically no wear or tear of the housing, carrier and book due to sudden shocks or jars which might otherwise occur. The book may be opened at this point so that the binders or covers of the book rest upon the inclined edges of the panels in a resting and reading position. The carrier for the book will be locked in its outward position and will remain in this posit-ion as long as the book remains in its open position. rlhe restoration of the book to its housing is eii'ec ed by closing the covers or binders by hand and allowing the book to return to its housing under the combined action of the retractile spring and the compression pot. This action is a. graduated one in which the book lirst drops rather quickly into its compartment until about one-third ot it is housed, then slows up under increased compression in the compression pot until the piston rings cover the hole in the valve, at which moment the movement is further slowed up under practically full compression in the pot. This last compression acts as an air cushion and allows the carrier to linally rest on the'rubber stop 2l without noise or shock. The tension of the retractile spring and the action of the compression pot may be so adjusted that the book is returned completely, positively and without noise or shock'to its compartment.

What is claimed is:

1. A book-holder including a casing for housing books or the like, said books being adapted to move between definite outward and inward positions with respect to the casing, pivotal means including a carrier by which the books are rotated to an outward position on the casing, retractile means directly connected to the carrier for restoring the books to the casing, and compression means for controlling the speed of the retractile action.

2. A book-holder including a casing having a plurality of partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a carrier for the books pivotally associated with each compartment whereby a book may be rotated from its compartment to a reading position on the casing, retractile means directl f connected to the carrier for restoring the carriers and books to their compartments, and compression means coupled to the carriers for retarding the action ot the retractile means.

3. A book-holder including a casing having a plurality ot partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a carrier for the books pivotally associated with each compartment whereby a book may be rotated from its compartment to a reading position on the casing, retractile means directly connected to the carrier for restoring the carriers and books to their compartments, and compression means movable with the carrier Jfor controlling the speed of the retractile action.

QA book-holder including a casing having a plurality ot partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a bookcarrier pivotally associated with the casing and adapted to move between definite outward and inward positions, and tension and compression means directly connected to the carrier for continually controlling the movement of said book carrier during its outward an d inward travel.

5. A book-holder including a casing having a plurality of partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a carrier for the books movable about a lined axis whereby a book may be rotated from its compartment to a. reading position on the casing, retractile means directly connected to the carrier for restoring the carriers and books to their compartments, and a compressionpot coupled to said carrier for controlling the speed of the retractile action.

6. A book-holder including a casing having a plurality oi partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a book-carrier pivotally associated with the casing and adapted to move between delinite outward and inward positions, and means including a spring and compression-pot directly connected to the carrier for continually controlling the movement of said book carrier during its outward and inward travel.

7. A. book-holder including a casing having a plurality of partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a carrier for the books pivotally associated with each compartment whereby a book may be rotated from its compartment to a reading position on the casing, retractile means directly connected to the casing and to the carriers for restoring t-he carriers and books to their compartments, and a compression-pot al'iiXed at one end to the casing, and coupled at its other end to a carrier and movable in accordance therewith for controlling the speed of the carrier as the book is rotated from its compartment to a reading position on the casing and for controlling the action of the retractile means.

8. A book-holder including a casing having a plurality ol' partitions forming compartments to house books or the like, a carrier for the books pivotally associated with the casing and adapted to move to an outward position and rotate its associated book from a closed position in a compartment to an open position support-ed by said casing, said book in its open position locking the carrier in its outward position, and tension and compression means directly connected to the carrier for restoring the carrier and book to their compartment upon the closure of said book.

9. A book-holder including a casing having an inclined portion' and a plurality of partitions orming compartments to house books or the like, a carrier for the books pivotally` associated with each compartment and adapted to be moved to an outward position therefrom whereby a book may be rotated from its compartment to an open position on the inclined portion of the casing, said book in its 5 open osition coasting with the casing and partitions to lock the carrier in its outward position and tension and compression means directly connected to said casing and to the carriers for restoring the carriers and books to their compartments upon the closure of said books.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specilcation this 16th day of October, 1930. 5 Y EDWARD J. SITHENS. 

